When To Use An Infographic CV

Infographics are graphics that display information in an easy-to-understand way. Doing this enables viewers to digest a large amount of facts and figures more quickly and easily than if they were written in black and white.

Their popularity is down to the aesthetic and expressive way in which they are displayed. This was originally done with bars and lines, but designs these days can be extravagant including icons and pictograms which make content more appealing and eye-catching.

It’s for this reason that the infographic can be a favourable method of creating CVs. And with the current state of the jobs market, having a curriculum vitae that stands out from the crowd is extremely valuable.

However, when it comes to your CV, there are a few things to bear in mind before you decide on an infographic.

The job application
Suitable industries to target with an infographic CV are the creative ones, such as graphic design and animation. This way, you can show off both your acumen for the job, such as your qualifications and experience, as well as your creative design skills, whereas a standard written CV would restrict you to the former.

Competition is fierce for any job at the moment, but it is particularly so for creative positions. This means that examples of your work will be more likely to entice potential employers, rather than dissuade them.

An infographic CV excels here because it acts as a piece of work, either as a stand-alone example or even integrated into a portfolio.

However, other fields such as finance and medicine might be less receptive to such an exuberant CV. After all, your creativity isn’t really what a potential employer is looking for. They will more than likely be interested in your qualifications and experience, in which case a standard CV may be more advantageous.

Overshadowing your CVs content
Your CV needs to stand out and grab attention for the right reasons. When created successfully, an infographic CV does this by carefully balancing the emphasis between design and the content within that design, so that they complement each other.

On the other hand, if you try to be too flashy and go for an all-singing, all-dancing infographic CV, you could end up taking the focus away from the content, making it harder to understand and leaving the reader nonplussed.

Similarly, if you’re applying for a position that sets criteria slightly above your qualifications or experience (and we’ve all applied for such posts), it’s easy to grasp at anything that might just sway a potential employer. In these instances, it’s advisable to avoid using an infographic as a pretty design that’s intended to mask any inadequacies.

Versatility
Before you jump into designing an infographic CV, consider how you’ll be applying for positions once it’s finished. If you send printed CVs through the post or present them in person, an infographic is ideal because you can design and print at home.

Applying online, however, might throw up a few problems with restrictions on what you can upload in an application such as PDF or Microsoft Word files.
The former shouldn’t be an issue; any software you use to design your infographic CV should export your finished document as a PDF.

Working with Word, on the other hand, can cause problems because the software isn’t intended for image-heavy layouts. This can result in changes in appearance when viewed by the potential employer. The alternative is to have a Word version of your CV, as well as an infographic CV that you can use when it’s appropriate.

As you can see, infographic CVs can be a great way to distinguish yourself in a crowded market and they’re quite simple to create: there are some programs specifically tailored to designing them and desktop publishers enable it too.

But before you dive into the world of infographic CVs, ask yourself whether they’re the best option for the positions for which you’re applying.